Three-way agreement approved for $135 million Exit 155 project
On Wednesday, the West Virginia Division of Highways, Monongalia County Commission and developer WestRidge took the critical first step down what promises to be a long and difficult road toward a new I-79 Exit 155 interchange.
In short, they sorted out the money.
In a meeting attended remotely by Secretary of Transportation Todd Rumbaugh and Deputy Secretary Michael DeMers, the commission signed off on a three-way agreement that spelled out how the $135 million project budget will be covered.
About half the cost – $67.2 million – will be provided by the state. Another 40%, or $54.3 million, will come through the US Department of Transportation MEGA Grant awarded in 2024, and the final 10%, totaling approximately $13.5 million, will be provided locally by WestRidge and the county. The local contribution includes design dollars already spent.
As has been reported, the project will include new bridges carrying I-79 over Chaplin Hill Road, a new divergent diamond interchange, a westbound flyover at the intersection of Chaplin Hill and U.S. Route 19 to help clear heavy traffic leaving Morgantown, and a multi-modal path from the rail-trail in Star City to The Gateway. Improvements to Chaplin Hill Road up to the interstate will also be included. Exit 155 in Star City. 5-14-21 GH
Ryan Lynch, representing WestRidge, noted the agreement harkens back to the three-way deal that got I-79 Exit 153 built and paid off in record time. Because of that experience, Lynch said both the county and the development team at WestRidge recognize when they have a willing partner in Charleston after years of false starts and half steps.
'With this administration and this DOH leadership, I feel very confident that we do, and that we're finally going to be able to really move this forward towards groundbreaking,' Lynch said.
Lynch's comments summed up a reoccuring talking point – the renewed hope in Monongalia County brought on by new leadership and direction from the governor's office, the transportation secretary's office and DOH District 4 headquarters in Bridgeport.
Specifically, the commission has lauded Gov. Patrick Morrisey's pledge to allocate funding and project support based on data, not politics.
'There's been a real change, and we've noticed it. We're now being told, and finally seen as an integral part of the state and economic development,' Commissioner Tom Bloom said, later adding, 'Where I'm excited, this is the first time that the first big project coming out of the state is in the north central area. I think that is probably a bigger surprise than anything else we've done. There's a new sheriff in town down there in transportation. I believe data-driven is key, and I believe we are now in the eyes and ears of Charleston and I can only see better things happening in the future. I appreciate that.'
In a press release, Morrisey called the public-private partnership 'a model of what we can accomplish to invest in our infrastructure and grow economic development across the state.'
Exit 155 and Chaplin Hill Road serve as the primary gateway to Morgantown, WVU, WVU Medicine and Mon Health Medical Center. It is the first I-79 exit south of the state line.
Even so, parts of the interchange fail during peak travel times. The failure is particularly evident, and dangerous, during large sporting events and the increasingly large and frequent events hosted by Mylan Park.
The state has pledged to install temporary traffic lights at the interchange's entrance and exit ramps until the reconfiguration project is complete. It was recently explained that those lights likely won't be in place until the end of the year.
'As you all have said, this is a gateway to West Virginia. It is the gateway to WVU, and it really needs to be a showcase. I think this project is going to take it to the next level and really help things out,' Rumbaugh said.
While no timeline was offered during the presentation, the $54.3 million federal grant comes with a 2028 deadline, meaning those dollars will likely be spent first.
Commissioner Sean Sikora said the 'big beautiful deal' is just the first step of many.
'This is the first step. We've got a lot of work to do, but we've got this memorialized, and we also have our marching orders to move forward. Our public is going to start seeing progress,' Sikora said. 'It's going to be two, three, four, five years, but we are working on it and we're phasing it so we can show progress and access those federal funds. I'm really excited to get this thing moving forward.'
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